Fuel Management

E85Prices.com: 1,429 Cities Sell E85

E85Prices.com is reporting that the United States now has 1,990 stations selling E85 ethanol fuel across 1,429 cities. In 2005 there were less than 500 stations across 400 cities selling E85.

E85 ethanol is no longer a Midwest only fuel. E85 has spread to both coasts, 5 years ago California had no cities selling E85, and today E85 can be found in 16 California cities including Los Angeles and San Diego. Maybe more impressive is Las Vegas, where E85 can be found at 17 stations.

On the East Coast, consumers in New York can find E85 in 20 cities and in the South even the Oil State of Texas has 35 cities with E85.

E85Prices.com expects these trends to continue as the Obama administration supports the Renewable Fuels Standards act of 2005 that requires 36 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022, 16 billion from cellulosic materials.

There are already 10 million E85 flex fuel vehicles on the road. That number is set to rapidly expand as the US Auto Industry has pledged that by 2012 at least half of their production line will be E85 flex fuel vehicles. GM, Ford and Chrysler have 36 FFV models for 2009. At a conversion cost of just $100 per vehicle it is an inexpensive path to giving consumers an actual choice at the pump as well as lowering our dependence on foreign oil.

According to the EIA (Energy Information Administration) ethanol as E10, as well as E85, is displacing 6 percent of our gasoline needs. This ethanol displacement is a major contributor to the lowering of demand for oil and keeping all fuel prices low. The current national prices are $1.79 for E85 and $2.03 for gasoline.

As long as ethanol production and usage increases the demand for oil will decrease keeping gasoline as well as ethanol fuels competitively priced for the consumer.

Voters in Missouri, Utah, and Washington rejected state ballot measures on Tuesday that would have added new taxes on fuel or energy use by fleet vehicles, while California voters elected to keep increased fuel taxes in place to fund the state's infrastructure.

The national average gasoline price has fallen to a six-month low at $2.76 for a gallon of unleaded fuel on the same day the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Iran, which haven't driven prices high as the oil market has remained steady.

The national average gasoline price fell 4 cents to $2.85 per gallon for the week ending Oct. 22, as the price has given way following several weeks of lower demand. The price is where it was a month ago and 39 cents higher than a year ago.

Most states saw lower fuel prices this week, as the nation's average gasoline price fell 2 cents to $2.89 per gallon for the week ending Oct. 15. A handful of states on the west coast and southeast saw higher prices due to fuel disruptions, according to AAA.

Great Lakes states such as Ohio and Indiana saw the highest weekly gasoline price increases, as the national price increased 3 cents to $2.91. Prices increased in 43 states with the national price average increasing 6 cents from a month ago and 41 cents from a year ago, according to AAA.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford Motor Co. came out against President Trump's bid to relax strict fuel economy standards approved during the Obama administration, but said the initial rules didn't consider increasingly popular utility sales and continuing lower fuel prices.

The national average price of regular unleaded remained at $2.85 per gallon for the week ending Sept. 24, even as drivers in 32 states saw lower or stable prices. The price level is 1 cent higher than a month ago and 27 cents above a year ago, according to AAA.